LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday turned down a request of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to dispose of a petition of an assistant professor of the Punjab University questioning alleged corruption in the Punjab University Employees Housing Scheme and adjourned the proceedings till October 27.

The court noted that the case was an example of unregulated creation of a housing society using the name of an institution like Punjab University and observed that registration of cases would be ordered in this case.

The petitioner’s counsel also told the court that the property in question had been alienated during the pendency of his petition.

The court observed that question about the absence of the eligibility criteria for establishing a housing scheme was raised during the previous hearing. The court said the question needed to be answered by the government and in particular, the secretary for housing, who had to ensure remedy to the persons who invested in the housing society merely because of the name of the university.

LDA's counsel, however, contended that an application seeking approval for the housing society in question had been withdrawn and the matter against respondents was pending before the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) and the court. He said, the prayer made in the petition was against the LDA, where matter was not pending with it, therefore, the petition became in fructuous.

The court, however, did not agree with the plea of the LDA’s counsel and adjourned the proceedings till next hearing.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023